Ji Zizhao waited until Ji Ziyan left before telling Jianqiu about the palace matters.
Jianqiu was speechless.
She didn't know what to say.
It was right for Miss not to tell the third young lady. The water in the palace was too deep, and the less one knew, the better.
But what if...
Ji Zizhao looked at Jianqiu in the bronze mirror. "Aunt Jianqiu, please speak your mind."
Jianqiu sighed, "Consort Xi has always been sharp-tongued and extremely imperious. After suffering such a great blow this time, she might not be able to swallow her pride."
Ji Zizhao thought it was nothing. "It was meant to be endless from the start. What is there to fear about endless entanglements?"
Jianqiu smiled and helped make the bed. "It's good that Miss has thought of this."
In fact, it wasn't that Ji Zizhao had thought of this, but that she had to be prepared at all times.
Even if the Fourth Prince had cleared her name in this matter, leaving Consort Xi no way to investigate.
From the moment she agreed to marry the Fourth Prince, some things could no longer be hidden.
Consort Xi and the Fifth Prince wanted that throne, and she and the Fourth Prince also would not let go.
Water and fire could not mix. It remained to be seen whether the fire would burn hotter or the water would extinguish it higher.
The snow outside was falling heavier.
The thick snow muffled footsteps. Even when the front gate was opened late at night, no one in the mansion knew.
It was only in the latter half of the night that lights were lit in Gu Peilan's courtyard, and they burned all night.
When Ji Zizhao woke up, she heard Shui Ling report that Ji Renran had returned.
Before Ji Zizhao could ask for details, Qingzhu entered against the cold wind. "Miss, the four major medical halls say you need to go there as soon as possible."
The people from the four major medical halls knew that Ji Zizhao was working in the palace.
Unless it was a matter of great importance, they would never ask her to go there specially.
Work was important. Ji Zizhao didn't even have time to eat breakfast before getting into the carriage half an hour early.
The shopkeepers had already gathered on the second floor of the Xuanyiguan. Seeing their mistress enter, they quickly rose to bow.
Ji Zizhao untied her cloak and saw the pastries and steaming milk tea already prepared on the table when she turned around.
Wang Can smiled and said, "In this cold weather, you can't go into the palace on an empty stomach. Our mistress should have a little something here to warm her stomach and then her whole body."
Ji Zizhao gestured for the shopkeepers to sit down before picking up the milk tea.
A sip down, the fragrance filled her mouth.
Her body warmed up, and her heart followed.
Ji Zizhao pushed the pastries in front of her to the center, signaling everyone to eat something. She figured they must be hungry at this hour.
The shopkeepers were indeed hungry, but they truly had no appetite.
Seeing this, Ji Zizhao's heart sank further. "What exactly happened?"
Chen Gang said, "As soon as it was dawn today, people from the court came to our door."
Sun Zhitin added, "They said the court wants to continue establishing medical halls in the county and cultivating medicinal fields."
It was a good thing, but Ji Zizhao couldn't smile. "But did something go wrong?"
Otherwise, the four shopkeepers would not have been in such a difficult situation.
Chen Gang sighed, "This matter is indeed good, but the bad part is that the court is unwilling to invest the initial capital."
To put it bluntly, the four major medical halls would provide the manpower and effort, and the court would simply wait for the harvest.
If the harvest was good, they would split it 40-60. If it was a complete loss, the four major medical halls would bear it equally.
Ji Zizhao laughed out of anger when she heard this. "They want to do business but are unwilling to bear any risk. We provide all the human, material, and financial resources, and if it succeeds, they still want sixty percent. Their calculations are too clever."
Wang Can could no longer stand it. Hearing his mistress's words, he said, "If you ask me, we should just not do it!"
Sun Zhitin retorted, "Is the court's business something you can refuse to do just because you want to?"
Xin Bi clenched his fist. "Does the court dare to force us with a knife?"
Sun Zhitin sneered, "If you anger the court, you won't get any good results. The court doesn't need to force us with a knife. A few stabs in the back are enough to make no one withstand it."
What he said was true, but Ji Zizhao felt something was amiss.
The Emperor cared most about his reputation among the people. The four major medical halls were a beloved institution in the imperial city. Even if the Emperor saw how poor the court was after the war in Tonglin, he would absolutely not push things to a dead end for the sake of his reputation.
"Uncle Gang, do you know the person sent by the court?"
Chen Gang nodded. "It's quite a coincidence. The one who came to discuss matters was not from the Ministry of Revenue, but from the Ministry of Works. He didn't specify his exact official position, but I felt it was suspicious for the Ministry of Works to interfere in this matter over the Ministry of Revenue. So I specifically had someone follow that person. I just received word that he did not go directly to the palace, but to the Diao family."
Sun Zhitin pondered, "Even if the Minister of Works is surnamed Diao, so what?"
Ji Zizhao narrowed her eyes slightly. "It's not 'so what,' it's just too coincidental."
It was nothing for the Minister of Works to be surnamed Diao.
But the key point was that Consort Xi was also surnamed Diao.
When Ji Zizhao was still in swaddling clothes, her grandfather often took her to his study.
At that time, Ji Zizhao was young, so her grandfather never avoided anything when discussing matters.
It was precisely because Consort Xi was surnamed Diao that when she was ennobled as a consort, the Emperor had the Ministry of Rites devise the character 'Xi' overnight to replace her surname, as using one's surname as a title was considered inauspicious.
The people in the city all knew there was a Consort Xi in the palace, but they had no idea of her actual surname.
Xin Bi and Wang Can also fell silent for a long time after hearing this. Why would Consort Xi, of all people, get involved in this matter?
Ji Zizhao, however, knew that this was entirely aimed at her.
She suspected that the Fifth Prince had reported her and the four major medical halls to Consort Xi, and Consort Xi was now testing them.
However, it seemed that Consort Xi had been planning this for a long time, otherwise, she wouldn't have sent someone at this time.
When the court made such an unreasonable demand, any normal person would seek someone to uphold justice.
And once Ji Zizhao found a way to explain the matter to the Emperor, Consort Xi would have evidence of her connection with the four major medical halls.
According to Consort Xi's original plan, by this time, she would have already earned a notorious reputation for using torture on the selected palace ladies. Then, Consort Xi would threaten her with her relationship with the four major medical halls, forcing her to obediently marry the Fifth Prince according to Consort Xi's arrangements.
After all, if this matter was brought before the Emperor, neither the four major medical halls nor she could escape the charge of deceiving the monarch!
And as long as she bowed to Consort Xi and entered the Fifth Prince's household, the four major medical halls would naturally become pawns paving the way for the Fifth Prince to ascend the throne.
As expected of Consort Xi, her calculations were truly clear and precise. Sudan Novel Network.
Chen Gang softly suggested, "Why don't we just take this loss?"
Taking this loss was always better than making their mistress difficult.
Moreover, the four major medical halls were not short of money. Even if they suffered a loss, it would be a small amount.
The other few clearly nodded in agreement.
Even the hot-tempered Xin Bi and Wang Can had nothing to say.
As long as their mistress could be protected, they were willing to be beaten to death.
Ji Zizhao, however, smiled. "Knowing it's a loss, how can we accept it?"
The few were stunned. "What does our mistress mean..."
The smile on Ji Zizhao's lips grew colder. "Spread the word, and let the people of the imperial city know what kind of people the Diao family are. Since they are officials in the court, they can't possibly have it both ways. Once the news spreads, there will naturally be people who look down on the Diao family and expose the matter to the Emperor. As for the Diao family, try to stall them. Stall until the Emperor personally summons the Diao family to the palace for questioning."
Since Consort Xi had involved the Diao family, she had no reason to let them off.
In the palace, Consort Xi might be able to exert her influence, but in the imperial city, Consort Xi's reach was still somewhat limited.
The shopkeepers' eyes lit up after hearing this.
This move was brilliant. It not only would dampen the Diao family's arrogance but also thoroughly infuriate Consort Xi.